Wheeler County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shamrock and Wheeler
Wheeler County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Wheeler County is home to Shamrock and Wheeler. Employers here counted 1,684 jobs in 2025, down 14.8% from 2019. Next door, Gray County has 1 data center and 500 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Wheeler County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities.
Cities and towns in Wheeler County
Wheeler County is home to Shamrock and Wheeler.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allison.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Wheeler County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,976 | 4,773 | ▼ 4.1% | 202nd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,976 | 1,684 | ▼ 14.8% | 237th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,217 | $47,489 | ▲ 0.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 65 | 38 | ▼ 41.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
4,773 people live here, down 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers Wheeler County
Utilities with service territory in Wheeler County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 156,271 | 12.03¢ | 30% |
| Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,912 | 18.00¢ | 11% |
| North Plains Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,081 | 10.15¢ | 26% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Wheeler County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wheeler County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,684 | $47,489 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 38 | $59,687 | 0.43 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Wheeler County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wheeler County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Wheeler County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wheeler County, Roberts County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler County | 4,773 | ▼ 14.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Beckham County OK | 22,159 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Collingsworth County | 2,487 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Donley County | 3,213 | ▲ 1.0% | 174 MW | — | — | — |
| Gray County | 20,919 | ▼ 1.4% | — | 500 MW | 1 | — |
| Hemphill County | 3,083 | ▼ 34.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Roberts County | 867 | ▼ 33.6% | 289 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Roger Mills County OK | 3,259 | ▼ 8.0% | 453 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Wheeler County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wheeler County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Wheeler County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Southwestern Electric Power Co, Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc, North Plains Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Wheeler County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wheeler County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Gray County.
Is Wheeler County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,684 jobs in 2025 against 1,976 in 2019 (-14.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 65 to 38.
Does Wheeler County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wheeler County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.